Jerome and Old Town Cottonwood

When hearing we were going to the Sedona and Cottonwood area, several people suggested we should drive up to see a small town called Jerome. It was a copper mining and smelting town high in the mountains nearby.

When the copper mine finally closed down, the town died and many of the old buildings were destroyed. But at some point new "hippie" people moved in and Jerome became revitalized. It is now a destination that is not terribly touristy, nor overly "artsy." Some of the old buildings have been restored, and a few stand in their original condition.

The Jerome State Historic Park Visitors Center, great lunch spots, and fantastic views of the valley below make the short drive and difficult parking worth the effort.

We only spent a half day there because my walking is still limited by my ankle injury.

After lunch we drove down and walked around the Cottonwood Old Town business district, visiting a few galleries, antique shops, a book store, and several gift shops. 

I bought some wild new socks with pink and purple smiling javelinas as my souvenir. 
We also stopped  at an Olive Oil tasting room, where Craig got a small bottle of Cara-Cara Orange Vanilla Balsamic Vinegar.

Any souvenir must be consumable, wearable, readable, or for someone else when you live in an RV!






Did I mention there were four other Alfas here in our loop of the Dead Horse Ranch Park? It seems that wherever there is more than one Alfa, happy hour is celebrated. So we joined our Maverick friends and had some yummy bites for dinner. After having eaten lunch out we had planned on a simple salad for dinner, but the crab cakes, meatballs, deviled eggs, and an assortment of  fresh veggies were more than enough. 

The eating is GOOD!

A list of our future reservations:

Where We Are, and Where We Are Going

Looking For Manatees

When I booked our current site, I knew that there were no manatees in the Little Manatee River because of a dam or something. But I knew that in our travels north next January, we would have several chances to see them at the springs we will be visiting. However, I was delighted to see a sign not far from us that said: "Manatee Viewing Center" along one of the highways we were driving down

I checked it out and found out the manatees like to gather near the warm water from the cooling outlet of the Tampa electric power plant, whenever the bay temperature drops below 68*. The power plant is where the Manatee Viewing Center is located.

On Tuesday I consulted Google to check the water temperatures. Although the web page listed Tampa Bay at 71*, we decided to drive over to the Center anyway.

We headed towards the chimneys puffing out steam.

We arrived just at the right time to catch a guide giving a short talk about manatees.

Then we went on to the viewing walkway. The guide had said there were a dozen or so manatees to be seen out in the water.

They were there, but all we could see was their huge bodies suspended just below the surface. Occasionally one would put his nose up for a breath, or dive down showing his fluke.

We looked over the side into a much shallower area, and could see one big shadow on the bottom. We waited and a large old beastie  came up for a breath of air from time to time. It may have been sleeping.

Then we saw two other shadows coming into the shallow area. One was much smaller than the other and as we watched the pair surfaced.

Both the mother and her calf were covered with barnacles. In the presentation we had listened to, we had learned that the barnacles were quite irritating, but would die and fall off when the manatee went into fresh water.

Craig said manatees are not very exciting to watch, but I think he enjoyed the beautiful day. I am looking forward to seeing them at the springs. Maybe we will get closer.

Some people like to collect T-shirts from the places they visit.  

I like socks!

What do you like to look for as a souvenir?